Photographic negatives left a century ago at an expedition base at Cape Evans, Antarctica, were discovered and conserved by New Zealand's Antarctic Heritage Trust on December 10.
Antarctic Heritage Trust
Antarctic expedition photos found —
A small box of 22 exposed but unprocessed photographic negatives was frozen in a solid block of ice for nearly 100 years. The photos were taken during Ernest Shackleton's 1914-1917 Ross Sea Party.
Antarctic Heritage Trust
Antarctic expedition photos found —
The cellulose nitrate negatives were found clumped together in a small box in the darkroom of Herbert Ponting, the photographer for the ill-fated 1911-1912 expedition of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott. Members of Shackleton's team were forced to take shelter in Scott's hut after their ship, the Aurora, blew out to sea.
Antarctic Heritage Trust
Antarctic expedition photos found —
A print from a 1914 negative found at Scott's last hut at Cape Evans shows Ernest Shackleton's scientist, Alexander Stevens, on the deck of the Aurora.
Antarctic Heritage Trust
Antarctic expedition photos found —
Ten members of Shackleton's group were stranded when the Aurora blew out to sea. Three men died before they were rescued in 1916.